I'm not that Dull...Wow, who knew?

The rules are make the item bold on your blog if you've done it.


1. Started your own blog (umm… yeah!)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (in elementary school I played the flute for 3 months if this counts!)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disney World
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (to my children when they were babies)
11. Bungee jumped (NEVER!)
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (from the shore)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables (I helped anyway)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (yes, but my satisfaction comes from God)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted (drawn)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain (I can only assume.)
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible (I'm pretty sure thatI have...if not atleast 90%)
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day (Oh, please...I homeschool!)
101. Been to Alaska
102. Milked a goat
103. Been bit by a snake
104. Been inside a cave

Bats and Barbarians

This morning I randomly asked my kids "So, what would you like to learn about today in school?". Anne immediately responded with "BATS!" (huh?) and Peter said "I want to learn more about Barbarians". While Peter's response could be categorized as typical for him, Anne's took me off guard. Like a good homeschool Mom, I have allotted time today for studying bats and Barbarians. LOL

Seussical the Musical

Anne had the opportunity of being involved with a local production of Seussical Jr. What a fantastic experience it's been for her and she's enjoyed every single minute of it! She can't wait until the next production, but I'm thankful for a reprieve with the upcoming Christmas break. She had six straight afternoon/evenings of rehearsals before the production on Sunday. I feel tired and I wasn't even doing it! However, I wouldn't change a thing and I'm very glad that she was involved in it.

Gingerbread

For several years I have wanted to travel to the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC to see the entries for their annual National Gingerbread Competition. This year we finally did it and it was so worth the trip! The Grove Park Inn was a field trip in and of itself and the Gingerbread houses were incredible. I am amazed at the quality and attention to detail that these artists put into their edible creations. Here's some of our favorites:

The grand prize winner!

This castle was created by a child in the 9 to 12 year old category!

It's one of Peter's favorites.

Being a fan of "The Hobbit" Peter liked this one also!
(This was in the Teen category)

This is Anne's favorite (especially since she's involved in "Seussical the Musical" right now).
(This was made by a child)

Here's one that I especially enjoyed. I think this tree house scene is a lot of fun to look at.



Here's a beautiful, traditional Gingerbread House.

Remind Me...

Next time I freak out about because of a comment made by a public school parent, tell me to relax!! The very same person that I allowed to get me worked up in late October told me this week (with an air of pride mind you) that her child was starting to read her 3rd novel of the school year! Yeah...3rd. My less avid reader (Peter) has finished 20 books so far this school year.

Christmas School

This year I've decided to spend the month of December focusing almost completely on Christ's birth. This year in particular I feel the need to focus on what's truly important during this season. We've completed two days of "Christmas school" and so far it's been fabulous. Yesterday was one of those dream homeschooling days where the school day flew by, the kids were into everything and much was accomplished in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Maybe every day is like this in your homeschool?? LOL

We are using an eclectic mix of resources for our Christmas study. I'm using "Celebrating the Savior" by Notgrass and the Christmas unit in Bob Jones Bible Truths 6 as a springboard for what we're learning. The Notgrass book includes writing assignments, some grammar, historical background on Christmas traditions, Christmas Carols and cultural information about how Christmas is celebrated in various countries. Also, I am reading aloud "The Christmas Mystery" by Jostein Gardner which has allowed us to easily add in some elements of geography since the story takes place in Europe. I plan on getting out our "Geography Songs" cd from Audio Memory and having them learn the locations of each country in Europe using the map with the songs (they already know the names, but not the exact locations). Anne has come up with the idea of her and Peter writing a Christmas story which they will read to our family on Christmas Eve. Both kids are very secretive about the plot and contents of their stories. I'm excited to see hear the final products! Once I add in a few hands-on projects, Christmas Mad Libs (for fun), a field trip or two, Astronomy and math, we have a full schedule. I've been pleased with the amount of review and new learning that I can easily include using these resources. Yesterday I gave Peter a review spelling quiz while we were working in the Notgrass book and he wasn't even aware of it. Yes, I can be very tricky!

Our Memory Tree

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving weekend. We cooked, ate, played Monopoly and on Friday we put up our Christmas tree. What makes our tree special is that each and every ornament has a story. We have an ornament that my Dad made when he was 6 years old, ornaments that I made when I was a child and, of course, ones that were made by Peter and Anne. When I was young, I had an Aunt that gave me a Hallmark ornament for Christmas every year and these are on the tree. I have ornament made by both of my Grandmother's and some made for my children by my dear cousin Mary Grace. Putting up the tree is a special time of refection and memories for me. There are many beautifully designed and decorated trees in the world, but I would never replace our "memory tree". I took some pictures to share:

My Grandmother made this Raggedy Ann ornament for me when I was five years old.

I love this "snowflake" made by Anne when she was three.

Peter painted this reindeer when he was four. Notice that one antler is missing? That's because he enjoyed playing with it and he crash landed it one too many times! The baby socks were Peter's too. He was born with large feet that never fit into these cute, newborn socks so I made them into an ornament for our tree. This was before I had "kidmade" ornaments. I was impatient and wanted some "kid" ornaments so I got creative!

This sweet ornament was painted by my cousin. I love handmade gifts because they truly are from the heart.